Motion Picture News (Nov-Dec 1920)

November 27,1920 4117 Three glimpses of "The Fatal Hour," a Metro production with an all-star cast Harry M. Berman, general manager of exchanges for Universal, now is making a tour of that film corporation's branches throughout the United States, in the interest of Universal's exploitation drive to help the exhibitor put over the latest Universal-Jewel pictures. On the eve of his departure from New York, Mr. Berman said : " Universal is going to get right behind the exhibitor and boost. We are overlooking no bets in the way of helpful cooperation for our exhibitor patrons. We have three big Universal Jewel pictures. " Once to Every Woman," with Dorothy Phillips, " Outside the Law," with Priscilla Dean, and "Foolish Wives," Von Stroheim's latest. " My present trip is not primarily to visit the various exchanges. I want to visit exhibitors. I want to talk over the exploitation situation with them. I want to find out just how we can help them put big pictures over with the public. We intend to work with each exhibitor in just the way he thinks will be most beneficial." Expects Heavy Bookings for New Pathe Serial A statement from the Pathe headquarters, New York City, declares that present indications are that "Velvet Fingers," Pathe serial, starring George B. Seitz with Marguerite Courtot, and scheduled for release December 5, " will fall heir to a wide majority of the bookings recorded on Ruth of the Rockies and in addition acquire many contracts from houses formerly not on the list of serial-showing theatres." Pathe expects " Velvet Fingers " to live up to the records of each chapter picture released during 1920 in advancing considerably the serial held, which during this year has been appreciably widened with each succeeding Pathe episode offering, according to that distributing organization. Metro Signs Popular Authors FOUR more well-known writers have been added to the group of prominent authors whose stories are being picturized by Metro Pictures Corporation. They are Montague Glass, Arthur Somers Roche, John Edward Russell and Gene Buck. By the signing of these authors Metro believes that it has made another material step forward in the cause of securing valuable story material for screen adaptation. Some of the other writers whose stories Metro is producing for screen presentation are Irvin S. Cobb, George Kibbe Turner, Donn Byrne, Hulbert Footner, Arthur Stringer, Lucia Chamberlain and Henry C. Rowland. There are but few Americans today who are not familiar with the famous characters "Abe" and " Mawruss," those humorous, human, joint-proprietors of a wholesale clothing store, who were first brought to the atention of the public in the magazine stories of Montague Glass. These characters with numerous others with whom they are thrown in contact will be woven into picture stories for Metro by Mr. Glass, who will leave in a few days for the West Coast studios of .Metro at Hollywood, Cal. Since 1900 Mr. Glass has been contributing short stories to the magazines and writing novels. His stories dealing with East Side life found instant puopularity with the public. " Potash and Pcrlmutter " appeared in 1910 ; " Abe and Mawruss," 1911; " Elkan LublimerAmerican," 1912; "Object; Matrimony ," 1912 ; " Competitive Nephew," 1915 ; " Worrying Won't Win." 1918; "Potash and Perlmutter Settle Things," 1919. Some of Arthur Somers Roche's best known works are " Loot," Montague Glass, Arthur S. Roche, John Russell Engaged " Plunder," " The Sport of Kings," " Ransom," " The Eyes of the Blind," "Uneasy Street' and " Find the Woman," at present appearing in serial form in Cosmopolitan Magazine. He is co-author of " The Scrap of Paper." John Russell, who has thrilled thousands with his unique stories of out-of-the-way places in all quarters of the world, is a globe trotter of wide experience for his age. Among John Russell's fascinating stories of the earth's far places are " The Red Mark," " Doubloon Gold," " The Wicks of Macassar," " The Passion Vine," " Jessain,'' " East of Eastward," " The Price of the Head," " The Lost God," " The Slanted Beam," " Amok," "The Practicing of Christopher" and " The Fourth Man." According to Air. Russell's contract he will write six special stories for Metro and will leave shortly for the Hollywood studios. Gene Buck is known wherever the Ziegfeld " Follies " are known. He was one of the original collaborators on the first one of these famous girl shows ten years ago and has been associated with every one of them since. Also he holds the same position in regard to the " Midnight Frolic." At present Mr. Buck is collaborating on an opera with Mischa Elman the violinist; on a play for David Warfield with David Belasco and also on another play with Ring Lardner. He is the author of " Zig-Zag " which had a long successful run in the London Hippodrome. A year ago Mr. Buck married Helen Falconer, who was leading lady for Fred Stone in a number of his plays. Second Cook Comedy Here " The Hunstman to Run in Two "T^HE HUNTSMAN," second of the Clyde Cook Special comedies produced and distributed by Fox Film Corporation, duplicated the New York record of the first release of this star, when it ran simultaneously at the Strand and Rivoli theatres on Broadway last week. The first of the Cook special comedies for Fox was Kiss Me Quick," and a pre-release of the film was shown for a week at these same houses. The new Fox star broke through the ice of his first night on "NO BETTER MACHINES MADE THAN SIMPLEX!" "Our machines are of the SIMPLEX model and are the best motion picture machines on the market. No million dollar theatre can have a better machine." Steve Bennis LINCOLN THEATRE 26 LINCOLN, ILL " With Fox Star Broadway Houses Broadway. Now comes " The Huntsman," with Cook mounted and beautiful ladies and trick animals and all, and the Rivoli and Strand again "do the simultaneous," both playing it for the comedy feature of the show. The Fox organization expresses confidence that the reception accorded the new star by his audiences means but one tiling— that the sadfaced comedian-contortionist who convulses people with mirth while never cracking a smile, has come to stay, without competition in his field of fun-making. Clyde Cook is the same comedian who drew crowds to the big Hippodrome in New York a year ago. The success achieved by his first film for William Fox, " Kiss Me Quick," and his second, " The Huntsman," promises great things for his third which is now in process of titling. Jack Blystone directed "The Huntsman."